Larry Rothschild to return as Yankees pitching coach in 2018

Larry Rothschild will return for his eighth season as Yankees pitching coach.(AP)

The Yankees announced Monday that Larry Rothschild will return as pitching coach in 2018, his eighth season guiding the club's pitching staff and his 44th in professional baseball as a player, coach or manager.

In 2017, Yankees pitchers set a franchise record with 1,560 strikeouts and posted the AL's third-lowest ERA (3.72), while holding opponents to an AL-low .228 batting average. Yankees relievers also set new Major League records in K/9 IP ratio (10.92) and strikeout rate (29 percent).

Since Rothschild, 63, joined the Yankees in 2011, the club's pitchers have a 2.96 K/BB ratio, the best mark in the AL and third-best in the Majors over that span. Since 2014, Yankees pitchers rank second in the AL and third in the Majors with 5,693 strikeouts.